Christians’ Struggle with Evangelism

I have had my fair share of evangelizing, and I know it was a struggle for me. I know many people have this same struggle; it is fair to say you are not alone. In as much as this is true for many, some things can make it less challenging. 

At age 18, I joined my church's evangelism team. Looking back, I would say most of my unpreparedness came from not fully understanding what I was doing and why I was doing it. Even if my motives were not wrong, it would have helped to know in advance what I was doing and why in preparing me for the journey.

"Make sure to invite your friend and family to church next Sunday." "Make sure to come with at least one person next Sunday." These statements were what we were asked to do regularly. I remember there were times when references were made to different parts of the Bible to encourage us. But still, I didn't get it.

So when I am out there, more concentration was placed on getting people to fill the remaining 50 seats in the church. Filling the seats in the church was my only motivation, and I did it with joy. In my head, my job was to get people to church; then the pastors could do their magic.

This means if you are unfortunate to cross my part when I was out evangelizing, you would get approached and convinced to come to MY CHURCH because that's the headquarters of Jesus.

Looking back, I feel sorry for those people who said, "Hmmm, I already have a church I attend." My move was to make you see the possibility of leaving your church to come to mine, as my church was better than yours. My pastor had the best suit and the right words to make you stay. Let's not forget you were not a true Christian if you didn't come to my church, period.

I worked like this for years. I am happy I did. It was an experience and one that gave me the possibility to grow. I firmly believe it is okay to do wrong or fail than to do absolutely nothing. My wrongs and failures were a journey that led to my wins and success stories.

From my experience, I firmly believe dealing with the principal enemy of evangelism will help overcome other evangelizing challenges. The primary issue that interfered with my success in my early days of evangelism was ignorance.

Ignorance

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."- James 1:5

Not knowing what to say or handle what will be told to you, either good or bad, can make evangelizing difficult. Not knowing why you are doing what you do is another level of ignorance. Not to talk about doing it for the wrong reasons, just like I did. 

To evangelize successfully, you need to be informed and convinced about what you are marketing. 

Yes, I see evangelism as advertising Jesus. Regardless of if you agree with me or not, one thing we can't deny is that adequate information, tools, and resources are needed to represent a brand or product effectively. It is impossible to convince others to join your team when you can't efficiently persuade yourself.

So, if I was to counsel my 18-year-old self on evangelism, these are the questions I would ask:

Why have you chosen to evangelize?

What do you know about the God you announce?

Who is your target audience?

Why have you chosen to evangelize?

There is always a reason why you do what you do. Unfortunately, many are oblivious to the importance of identifying, recognizing, and owning their "why." This is an issue on its own.

Take a step back and think about it for a minute. Why are you doing this? Is it because your parents or church are forcing you? Or you just want to make new friends? Do you just like having your church filled to the brim? Or you want to be seen as someone active in the church? Perhaps, you just love God.

None of these reasons is harmful. This is not to say some people do not have hidden agendas when it comes to doing things that seem to be right in others' eyes. Now that you have identified your why, look yourself in the face to recognize if it aligns with the word of God. To further help you, at the end of this post, I have linked some useful resources.

What do you know about the God you speak about?

I watched a YouTube video one time, and the lady was ranting about an MLM program I was looking to join. One thing that stood out to me was when she said, "I don't feel comfortable convincing people to join my team if I am yet to see that this system works."

Some Christians struggle with the idea of evangelism because they can't picture themselves facing a person and starting a conversation that involves Jesus. I know because I have been there.

What would I say? What if I was asked a question I know nothing about. What if the person rejects or disgraces me? Oh, I don't know enough scriptures? We all know those things make us want to quit evangelism.

As much as all Christians or disciples of Jesus Christ are mandated to evangelize, I firmly stand by being prepared before giving it a go.  My advice also includes those who have the gift of evangelism.

I know! There Christians who have the gift of evangelizing. How cool is that? Notwithstanding, don't be on your high horse or feel you do not need to be prepared for the task. Even Jesus prepared his disciples before mandating them to go to share the gospel. 

Preparation should go towards studying, praying, and asking the right question to the right people. Over time, you will gain confidence in what you know about the God you serve, and this will, in turn, make representing him easier.

Who is your target audience?

Unlike me in the early days of my evangelism quest, one who is out to evangelize should know who the target is. Back to Matthew 28:19–20.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Target 1 - All nations
Target 2 - The unpurified

All looks and cranny should be your focus, regardless of whether you are in Africa, Europe, or  Antarctica. Our target is further narrowed to the unpurified. As seen in Matthew 28: 19-20, we were asked to purify people in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not say go to refine the already purified. 

I won't be surprised if you are like, "Hmmm, how can you differentiate the purified from the unpurified?" After all, it is not written on a person’s face. Very correct! This is why we need the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can't see them, but he can. Just let him lead.

If your ministry of evangelism does not involve going out on the street with a speaker to share the word of God, but to a one-on-one conversation with people about God you target, your target should be God's target. Just watch, pray, and listen.  There is always that soul that needs redemption and is ready for a change.

You have no business with those who are not ready to receive what you are giving to them. The only way you can identify the ready soul is when God tells you.

A short prayer like the one at the end of this post can help you make the most of your time to the glory of God's name.

With the right knowledge in place, tackling other challenges that come with evangelism becomes easier.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for another opportunity to announce and celebrate you to the world. I ask you to teach me, direct me, and speak through me, to the right person, at the right place. Holy Spirit, take the wheel and drive me as you will. Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Lord.

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